âLord Sherlock, you have foresight. The gamers will definitely attract the attention of the Garrison Guards if the gamers teach the residents of the old district here,â Bru said to Sherlock when he arrived at the construction site to survey the progress of the construction.
âIf we use mission tips and heavy punishments to restrain the gamersâ passionate learning, I feel itâs not a good long term solution. There may be negative repercussions,â Sherlock looked at the working gamers and said worriedly.
âLord Sherlock, are you misunderstanding the gamers? Passionate learning? The gamers are only interested in the game.â Bru quickly clarified the gamersâ intention.
âTheyâre fixing a time, location, and group to learn on the forum. In the Dungeon, they work while reciting formulas. If they donât have a strong passion for learning, I donât see why theyâre doing that.â
Bru quickly said, âPlease, believe me, Lord Sherlock. Besides Hemp Rope Technology, the other gamers donât have a passion for learning. This is a requirement specified by the game. To have a great gaming experience, they started learning seriously. I have seen gamers memorizing complex solutions.â
âBut Lord Sherlock, you are correct in saying that restraining the gamers isnât a long term solution. What shall we do, Lord Sherlock?â Bru asked, but Sherlock didnât respond.
Sherlock walked to Marco Polo under the envious gazes of the gamers and said to him, âI need to meet the poor residents of the old district. Help me arrange it.â
Marco Polo was taken aback.
[Mission Title: Lord Sherlockâs Order
Mission Description: Carry out Lord Sherlockâs order.
Mission Reward: Improves Lord Sherlockâs impression of you. When you create posts on the discussion forum, the administrator may be watching you.]
After seeing the mission appear before him, Marco Polo shouted excitedly, âYes!â
...
Sherlock looked at the elderly Gnome, whose eyes were filled with restrained fear, wariness, and bewilderment.
âGreetings, Iâm Eternal Kingdomâs Dungeon Lord Sherlock. Iâm sure itâs not your first time hearing my name. Iâd like to thank you for letting us build the Adventurerâs Guild on your land.â
Compared to the wariness of the elderly Gnome, Sherlock was casual. The elderly Gnome said, âWeâve heard of your big name. Your servants are different from the servants of other Dungeons. They...ân/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
âThey donât think that natural sciences are dangerous subjects. Most of them are knowledgeable, and some of them have Sacred Light. Are you saying that?â
Sherlock noticed the elderly Gnome hesitating, and he continued to speak, âTruth be told, Iâm a special superior Devil. I donât abhor the Power of Sacred Light. When I was exploring the Surface World, I had some good friends who were Grand Priests, like so and so.â Sherlock explained and said, âI ordered Marco Polo to meet up with you, so donât be wary of me.â
The elderly Gnome bowed to Sherlock and said, âRespectable Lord Sherlock, please pardon me for my disrespect. Iâm in awe of your servantâs knowledge. In order to accommodate these servants, I believe you must be very different from other Devils.â
âThank you for your trust.â Sherlock nodded at the elderly Gnome as a return gesture. Then he said, âI feel sympathy for you for choosing the most dangerous belief in the Underworld. Your fortitude is admirable, but it will cause incidents one of these days. From what I know, the learning activities of your residents and my servants have been reported to the authorities.â
âReported to the authorities? Impossible! We have a great passion for learning. Itâs impossible for them not to like learning!â the elderly Gnome said firmly, but his eyes flickered.
âWhen I came just now, I encountered two Garrison Guards who didnât gain any information. They may come again with more guards.â
The elderly Gnome said, âWe will deny vehemently. As long as we deny it and they have no evidence, they canât do anything to us.â
Sherlock nodded and said, âIndeed. If you insist on your innocence, unless they discover your private collection of learning materials or witness your usage of Sacred Light, they will be unable to take further action. But havenât you thought about the day when you can learn freely in public?â
âLearn freely in public?â
The elderly Gnome was stunned. Sherlock leaned forward and said in a tempting manner, âA day where thereâs no need to hide or use the dark alleys to learn. Where you can even have your own Sacred Light Worshiping Chapel and teach your future generations to study hard every day!â
Sherlock spread out his hands and gestured a beautiful vision. He said convincingly, âThink about it. They could do homework at home daily, take examinations once every two months. They could attend classes daily with no holidays. Donât you wish for this kind of a life that seems like a dream?â
âBut... this is impossible... without the protection of the Dungeon Core, we wouldnât be able to survive for long. Soon, we would be infested by the Underworldâs ideology and become like the insane Houndhead Men who go around killing creatures.â
The elderly Gnome was dispirited, but Sherlock smiled and said, âWhy isnât it possible? I have trained the Houndhead Men to be construction workers. Havenât you seen the Houndhead Men? They are my Dungeonâs citizens. If youâre willing, I can give you a chance to realize that dream.â
âLord Sherlock, what do you mean?â
âYou can be my vassals and join Eternal Kingdom. There is a satellite town called Marsh Inkspewer Town. The location is pretty good with serenity, security, hygiene, and scenic views. The place is full of rocks, and itâs relaxing. The wilderness is also packed with millions of Large Lizards moving around. The most important thing is...â
Sherlock smiled and said, âYou can freely study and learn, and nobody will care about you. My only desire is... to obtain all the land in the old district.â